The beginning of the end
by Silverbullet53
Summary: SI fan fic, the world is about to change, (i suck at writing summaries)
1. ch1 In the beginning

In the beginning.  
(Part I)  
  
The clock was flashing 12. I shut my eyes and tried to think of what the time might actually be. Sleep was almost upon me when I heard a crash mixed with the scampering footsteps of a cat. Assuming nothing was amiss but wanting to ensure the safety of my pet, I jumped out of bed and ended up on the floor with my face in the carpet. "Nuts" I cursed silently to myself, quite happy that I had restrained myself from swearing, as I had been trying to do so recently.  
  
I felt something wet and dripping from my leg, I assumed I had spilt some water in my recent meeting with the floor, as I often keep a bottle of water next to my bed during the night. However, when I turned on the light to avoid tripping over other objects carelessly left scattered over my room, the red spots on the floor quickly told me that it wasn't water that I had spilt.  
  
My eyes darted around the room for something to cover my minor wound with, albeit my search came up in vain. Looking around the room again a little slower, I noticed my computer chair tipped over on its side and some random computer parts sitting around it.  
  
Cursing quietly to myself and then cursing again for cursing, I picked myself up and headed upstairs, to investigate the original sounds that caused the disruption of my slumber.  
  
Stepping upstairs and turning on a light, I was floored to find a pile of dirt at my feet. It seems my ever faithful cat, despite her constant warnings from me, had succeeded in pushing the plant situated in the middle of our dining room table, onto the floor.  
  
"God help me" I exasperated.  
  
Walking into the kitchen to grab the broom and dustpan, I heard the constant beeping of the phone when it's off the hook. Sighing quietly to myself I reached over to pick it up. Upon grabbing it however, the beeping stopped, and an overwhelming sensation came over me to put the receiver up to my ear.  
  
Too tired to question my seemingly natural reaction, I put the receiver up to my ear and listened, somehow expecting to hear something.  
  
"Your request for divine assistance has been approved" came a feminine angelic voice. "A representative from the Goddess Relief Office will be with you shortly"  
  
EH!??? I said stupidly  
  
Noticing that the dial tone had once again returned, I hung up the phone and attempted to clear my thoughts.  
  
"This has to be some kind of a trick, some kind of joke my friends are playing on me" was the second thought that crossed my mind. It was then that I noticed my living room light up like the fourth of July. The humming of electricity was overwhelmingly loud. Suddenly, just as quickly as the light came, it left, and along with it, the noise. Standing in my kitchen, in my boxers, I was quite afraid to leave its safety and peek around the corner, yet I knew I would have to eventually; after all, I can't live my life in the kitchen.  
  
Peering around the corner of my kitchen wall into my living room, I saw nothing. Slightly crestfallen and disappointed, I sighed and turned around to put away the broom and to investigate the strange light show in my living room.  
  
However it was then that I came face to face with a gorgeous 5'8 or 5'9 foot woman, with silvery white hair and a figure only available to those with power and money, a woman whom I would later call Urd. For now, I would call her "BLAHHHH!"  
  
"Urd would be more appropriate" she half giggled, half stated. Then she spewed out the speech that would change my life forever. "Mr. Steve Eaton, of earthrealm 514, I am here to grant you one wish, as per your request earlier, however that wish is not restricted to your original request, and judging by what the original request was" she stated while looking over at the small heap of dirt under the dining room table "I suggest you make it something else."  
  
I stood there dumbfounded for a minute or two, the words she was say barely registering in my head. "W-i-sh!?" I blubbered. "I must be dreaming." I muttered under my breath  
  
"No, I'm afraid that you aren't" she said with a tone of voice that seemed slightly rushed and eyes that seemed impatient.  
  
I didn't know what to think, or even how to think Here was this beautiful Goddess, telling me that I could have anything I wanted, all I had to do was ask, it seemed good, a little too good. "I don't have to sign my soul away or anything do I?" I asked tentatively.  
  
"No, I'm a Goddess, not a demon, at least not a complete demon" she replied, hesitating at the last comment.  
  
I decided to let that comment go, the look in her eyes told me that if I probed further, I would most likely be wishing I hadn't had the opportunity to receive a wish. "So I can wish for anything I want? Anything at all?"  
  
"Pretty much." She replied "With a few exceptions. You can't wish for things that alter history, or alter fate. However wishing for something like that is impossible, as if it changes the way humans will live, then it was part of fate. Also you cannot wish that you never received a wish, as doing so creates a paradox that would disrupt the 4 dimensions that your mortal mind can comprehend."  
  
"I understand completely" I quickly lied.  
  
Nodding as if she couldn't see through my deception, she then looked down at my waist "Interesting attire, do you often greet the divine in such clothing?"  
  
My skin froze as I noticed that I was only wearing my boxers and nothing else, I jetted out of the room and threw on some pants. Returning once again to my Goddess inhabited kitchen I noticed Urd poking around in my fridge. I had been studying basic Japanese, but I hadn't progressed to the level at with I could understand a normal conversation. However I did recognize the word "sake".  
  
Ignoring her I sat at the table to ponder what I could wish for. A new car? Money? Power? Women? "Why me?" I suddenly blurted, hardly expecting an answer. "Why was I chosen?"  
  
"The so-called Ultimate force chooses who gets to receive wishes, it is not always clear why certain people are chosen, but they normally possess traits of noble or moral quality."  
  
I felt my face turn hot at this comment. Noble, me? I was never one to take complements easily, however this quickly faded when I remembered the world "normally" Indicating that not all people possessed these qualities.  
  
Then it hit me, like a sucker punch to the jaw, I suddenly knew what I wanted to wish for!  
  
"I have my wish!" was the words that I heard escaped from my lips  
  
"Oh good" I heard Urd mutter. "Now remember wish for exactly what you want, it's pretty much impossible to take back wishes"  
  
Hardly listening to her advice I stated my wish  
  
"I WISH TO HAVE THE ABLIITY TO CREATE THINGS FOR THE BENEFIT OF MANKIND"  
  
Suddenly the air had an electric feel to it, as if everything in the room would have given me a static shock should I feel brave enough to touch it. Then Urd started floating a couple feet of the floor, books and random debris was spinning around my bedroom. Suddenly a huge burst of energy shot out from her forehead, through my ceiling and I'm assuming into the sky.  
  
While all of this was going on, I was in a less than impressive position on the floor, somewhere between having my legs behind my head and my back in the air, it was quite uncomfortable. After a few more seconds, everything in the room started to fall to the floor, Urd included.  
  
"You wish has been approved" she chimed automatically, similar to as if a puppeteer was controlling her with strings.  
  
I sat there in silence for about 10 seconds. Which is quite a long time considering I was staring at a beautiful Goddess who just told me that I was able to create things for the benefit of mankind.  
  
"So...now what?" I asked tentatively.  
  
Before she could muster a response my phone rang, despite the late hour I was not surprised someone was calling, after all that had happened tonight, it was the last item on my "Things that never happen" list.  
  
If I had known then to whom I was speaking, I probably would have acted a little differently on the phone.  
  
"Hello, Steven speaking."  
  
"May I speak to Urd please" said a commanding yet gentle kind voice on the other line  
  
"Er.sure.may I ask who's calling?"  
  
"Just tell her it's a friend" said the commanding voice once again, this time sounding a little impatient.  
  
"Alright, just one second.."  
  
What a stupid wish. Urd thought to herself as Steve went to go answer the phone. "Benefit mankind" pfft, why not just wish for world peace, normally people like that are excluded from making wishes, because of the conflict with fate. Yet, I wonder.  
  
"Urd!" a voice called from the living room "Phone is for you, says he's a friend of yours"  
  
Urd immediately knew who this "friend" was, her whole body tensed up and her heart was in her throat. It's not like he was a bad person; in fact, he was the kindest most loving person in the universe. However, he sometimes had bad news, and he wasn't afraid to punish screw-ups. Urd knew of this all too well.  
  
She walked into the living room and took the phone from Steve, taking a deep breath, she put the receiver to her ear, and confirmed she was there  
  
"Hello, Urd speaking" she said, pretending not to know who it was.  
  
"It is I"  
  
"Oh Kami-sama, what do I owe this unexpected pleasure!?" Urd said while sounding excited, yet she could not help but show some of her fear in her voice  
  
"Urd, this is concerning the wish that the mortal Steve Eaton has made, he is in great danger, so by my will I command you and your sisters to ensure his safety while he is living in your home, this will last until he can take care of himself"  
  
Urd was flooded at this news, this mortal, living with her, and her sisters. Not to mention Keiichi and his sister, who was there often enough to be considered a house member.  
  
"Kami-sama, there must be some mistake, this mortal - "she was cut of by a loud voice.  
  
"I do not make mistakes Urd; failure to comply will result in the immediate termination of your Goddess license, and exile from the heavens!"  
  
Urd gulped at this news, exile from the heavens, this punishment was reserved for the strictest of crimes, such killing fellow Gods, or mortals. Also it was sometimes given to people who had allied themselves with the demons, depending on the situation and the reasons. The license revoking was nothing new to Urd, but exile, this was much different from a temporary ban. Exiles were never revoked.  
  
"I understand my Lord, forgive my questioning of your will" Urd said nervously. "If I may my lord, may I ask a question?"  
  
"Yes my daughter"  
  
"Who is Steve in danger from" she asked  
  
"Fate" Kami-Sama replied, and then just as quickly as the phone call came, the line went dead. 


	2. ch2 In the beginning pt2

In The Beginning.  
(Part II)  
  
Setting the phone down on the coffee table, I pondered who it might be on the other line. However, no amount of pondering could have prepared me from what I heard next.  
  
"Oh Kami-sama, what do I owe this unexpected pleasure" I heard Urd say on the phone.  
  
My heart leaped into my throat when I heard this. Kami-sama! The Kami-sama, the creator and ruler of all things, the alpha and the omega, on my telephone! My throat was dry, and my hands were soaked, understandably so, considering who was on my phone.  
  
My head was spinning, but I heard bits and pieces of Urd's conversation with Kami-sama. "Protection?" "Mistake?" "Danger?". The last one was the one that caught my attention. Danger? The most dangerous situation I had been in before meeting Urd was running low on root beer and potato chips, but I had a feeling that was all going to change.  
  
I heard the indistinct click of the phone hanging up and following the muttering of a distraught Goddess. I cleared my throat to get her attention, unfortunately, whatever seemed to be troubling her was really doing a number on her, as she ignored my coughing until I finally just asked what was bugging her.  
  
"You have to come with me to Japan" she said matter of fatly, in a voice that offered no room for question. My heart skipped a few beats at that news; slightly I considered the health problems that I might run into later on with the constant shocks I had been receiving that night.  
  
"J-j-apan?" I stammered. "I have to go to Japan?"  
  
"Yup" she said as if it happened everyday. "I'll give you 20 min to pack but then we have to go.  
  
"20 minutes!!" I practically shouted. I was thinking perhaps a few days or even a week, but 20 minutes, that's impossible. "I can't go to Japan!" I started to rant. "I have a life here, I have a girlfriend, I have friends and family, I have my schooling!" However, none of this seemed to faze her.  
  
In fact, I doubt that she heard a word I said, she seemed too pre-occupied with pacing around my living room in heavy thought.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"What the ****!?" Urd silently cursed to herself, if the Almighty had been around to hear that she would most likely be facing another license suspension. There were a lot of misconceptions about what Kami-sama liked and disliked, but dirty words was certainly one of his dis-likes. Once a God had actually sworn at kami-sama, for a decision that he disagreed with. That God was sentenced to 40,000 years of janitorial duty in Yggindrasil, a chore normally preformed by mindless sentient beings created by Kama-sama for many trivial duties.  
  
"Why do I have to bring him to the temple!?" Just when everything was finally going right, Keiichi and Belldandy are closer than ever, Skuld has even stopped threating to Skuld-bomb Keiichi every time he so much as touches Belldandy.  
  
She continued to breathe heavily in frustration as she looked around the room to try to take her mind off things. The room seemed like a typical middle-class urban home, with a fairly oversized TV as the focus point of all things, a green lazy-boy chair and a colour coordinated couch statistically placed around the boob tube. Under her feet lay a green rug with a decretive design and beneath that was a hardwood floor with imperfections in the surface.  
  
"Umm." came a uncertain voice from behind her, despite the fact that she expected him to speak up sooner or later, it didn't prevent her from being startled and snapping her shoulders in response to his intrusion.  
  
"Miss Urd.." Urd twinged at this, not just for being called something so formal, but the implication of the single life, of course this was not an inaccurate assessment, but how could some mortal like this know that someone as beautiful as her was unmarried, and unattached. Of course she knew that he had no idea of her martial status, albeit it still pained her slightly. ".there are some items I wish to take that might be a bit hard to carry on a plane."  
  
Urd started to laugh at this. A plane? Her? It was downright funny. Why would she use such a pathetic form of transportation?  
  
Chuckling slightly at his naivety, she said to him "Don't worry about the space issue, gather everything you want to take and bring it to me, and I'll send it ahead of us, and we are not taking a plane to Japan" she paused at this, although knowing that he would find out eventually what median of transportation they would be taking, she decided to not tell him for now.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Wandering around my room, arbitrarily picking up things that I thought might be useful on my trip, it started to sink in the severity of my situation. Japan? I'm surprised that I had not wondered how long I was supposed to be there. Not to mention my server fear of planes. My mind was racing at this point; I was never one for change. After being torn away from all my childhood friends due to family problems I never again wanted to experience the loss of losing everyone that I knew and loved in a heartbeat. Of course I knew that I wasn't losing everyone, but I was quite unsure of how to stay in contact.  
  
I looked around my room for what I knew would be the last time for quite a while. Trudging up the stares with bags in hand I approached Urd with a sense of caution. She seemed like a cat caught in a cage, ready to strike at any offensive movement.  
  
"Umm.Miss Urd" I said rather tentatively. ".there are some items I wish to take that, might be a bit hard to carry on a plane" She started to laugh at this statement; however I failed to see what was so funny about it. "Don't worry about the space issue" she said in-between her chuckles, gather everything you want to take and bring it to me, and I'll send it ahead of us, and we are not taking a plane to Japan"  
  
Not taking a plane to Japan? Of course the fact that she was a Goddess seemed to evade my mind at the moment. "Then how do you plan on getting us there?" I stated out of confusion rather than anger.  
  
"Don't worry about that" Urd replied "Just put all of the stuff you want to take in a pile in this room and leave the rest up to me"  
  
Doing as I was commanded I threw a suitcase full of clothes onto the floor, and then placed my laptop computer on top of it.  
  
She looked at me with an eyebrow raised. "You are bringing your computer?" she said as if it was the most unusual thing she has heard all day.  
  
I glared at her slightly and she seemed to get the message.  
  
"Ok" she said "Let's sends this stuff to Japan"  
  
The air grew warm and light suddenly started to appear from her hands. She started to chant in an almost sing song voice words that I could not understand. Then I noticed that everything I had placed down in the living room was gone, before I had time to let my eyes get back into their sockets from shock, I was grabbed by the arm and pulled towards a now glowing T.V. set.  
  
"You're not going to do what I think your going to do are you!?" I barley had time to finish the sentence before she turned back and winked at me slightly before pulling in with her. It was the strangest sensation that I had ever experience in my life. It was like being pulled at a million miles per hour, but it didn't have the same effect that acceleration on planes or in cars has. The experience could only be described as falling from the sky at terminal velocity but sideways instead of down. Vivid colours surrounded me and from what I could tell I was being led down a series of interwoven paths and hallways.  
  
There was a bright flash and suddenly I was on solid ground again. There was a sunbeam coming in from a half open window and it portrayed directly into my eyes. Moving away from the beam of sunlight I looked around the room to try and understand where I am and what had just happened. The room seemed to be of Japanese style, not something I would have known just by dropping it, but knowing I was supposed to be going to Japan, and being in a room that I had never seen before, I assumed it was of Japanese style.  
  
I blinked a couple of times to ensure that my eyelids were still intact, then, slowly, I stood up. Staggering slightly from a head rush, I put my hand to my head to steady myself, not that it would really make a difference if I was to fall over, and it just seemed like the thing to do.  
  
The roomed seemed to be some kind of a bedroom and glancing down to where I had been laying, I noticed a futon. Despite the confusion of my recent memories, it seemed that some time had passed since my departure to my arrival.  
  
I barely had time to think about this when I heard a door behind me slide open.  
  
"Oh you're awake." said a soft angelic voice. I spun around as quickly as my body would let me. There I saw the most beautiful woman that I had ever seen, she had long auburn hair that descended down to her ankles, her smile was kind and gentle and her eyes seem to radiant kindness and compassion.  
  
"You passed out the second you arrived, so we brought you to this spare bedroom so that you could rest, after all that you've been though we figured it would be better than trying to wake you" she replied to my unasked question.  
  
"Umm.thanks.I think" I replied, a bit confused as to what exactly was going on. "If I may ask, who are you?"  
  
She bowed curtly and apologized for not introducing herself sooner, I attempted to assure her that it was alright, but she proceeded to tell me who she was. "My name is Belldandy; I am a Goddess, like the woman you have already met."  
  
My shock must have shown it self, as she laughed slightly. Two Goddesses, in less than 24 hours, this was a little too much for me.  
  
"Come on" she said. "I'll show you around and let you meet the rest of the family, and then we need to discuss your wish."  
  
I would have responded to her, if my attempts at speech had not been cutoff by the sound of running and then a girl, who could not have been older than 13 burst into my room, seeming quite angry.  
  
"What the hell is another male doing here!" she screamed louder than I thought possible for a girl her size. "It's bad enough Keiichi and elder sister are together, now another man has to live with us!"  
  
This girl, whom I would later call Skuld, was actually a very nice and intelligent person; she has many great qualities that would make her eventually a wonderful woman and Goddess. However she had a few sore spots. One was men living in the same house with her, the second, as I would find out in a few seconds, was being called a kid.  
  
"I'm sorry if I have somehow offended you little girl, I am ---. The rest of my sentence was cut off from the look of horror on Belldandy's face, and the look of anger on the girls.  
  
"Please Skuld, he didn't know any better" Belldandy tried to coax Skuld.  
  
"DON'T EVER CALL ME A LITTLE GIRL!!!" in the blink of an eye a hammer appeared in her hands from no where, and she started charging at me.  
  
Now, in my rather short life I had seen many things, and with my years of playing video games I had leaned to react fast. However the only thing I could to was to put up my arm to prevent this hammer swinging girl from hitting my face.  
  
I was about to be shocked again, as when the hammer came down, instead of it hitting my arm, I suddenly fell through the floor and re-appeared on the other side of the room.  
  
The girl dropped her hammer in shock; Belldandy seemed just as shocked as I did. So I did what any normal person would do at this point. I passed out. 


	3. ch3 A progressive moment in tme

A progressive moment in time 

(Chapter III)

"He did what!?!?" yelled a rather shocked Urd. 

Belldandy had just finished explaining how Steve had dodged Skuld's hammer attack by appearing suddenly on the other side of the room. Urd's reaction had been expected, for a mortal to do such a thing is incredibly rare. How a mortal came to do such a thing was the first unanswered question.

The second was Steve himself.

Carefully placed on the table in front of them was a heavy book. This was not any normal book like one that someone would find in a library. This book was kept in a very secure location of Yggdrasil. For someone to have access to it, they would have to have the direct permission from Kami-sama himself, or be one of a few Gods or Goddesses who were allowed to access these files, since Urd was the one who granted Steve's wish, she was allowed to access his file if necessary. Anyone caught trying to take a book without permission or authorization would be immediately expelled from Yggdrasil, never to be let back in.

The book was a darkish brown color, with gold lettering and laced with gold thread down the margin making a criss-cross intricate pattern. The cover of the book simply said two words. "Steve Eaton"

Belldandy sat on the floor next to the table in the middle of the room. Despite all that had happened in the last few hours she looked as calm as ever. Sitting there, sipping her tea slowly, deep in thought over what had happened. 

"He transported himself across the room, without meaning to" she thought to herself, replaying the images in her mind. "I could feel the energy spastically spike from within him, and then fade just as quickly" Now this was quite unusual, normally divine beings that can use energy have the same power level at all times, with no difference to the actual use of it. 

However this power had just appeared, it just, came to be. "Energy like that does not just come from no where, it has to exist first" pondered Belldandy.

Urd broke her thoughts with the banging of her fist on the table. "And what about this damn book!" She stated with the sound of frustration in her voice. "I go all the way to the Yggdrasil record archive to get his file, and all I get are more questions!" She grabbed the book once again, as she had done a few times already, and opened it up to where the index should be. 

Instead of pages filled with information on the subject, as any record normal book would have been. The first page simply had one word on it. "CLASSIFIED" and the rest were blank.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The air was filled with a soft bitter aroma, the kind that is indefinitely established in a home after years of use. This aroma was unique however; it didn't have the same musty old sense that most home odors did. It actually smelled pleasant.

I arose slowly, I felt refreshed and awake after my second unexpected slumber. I found clothes arranged gently next to me, with a card indicating that they were mine. I made a mental memo to thank whomever had put them there and quickly got dressed.

Leaving my temporary bedroom, I walked slowly down the hallway; every step seemed to make the floor creak with age. Entering into a room that resembled an American family room, I took notice of my surroundings. There was a small T.V in one corner, showing signs of age and use. There was a bookcase adjacent to it, crammed full of books that appeared to have not been touched since they were placed there. 

"Ahem" interrupted a voice from behind me. I turned my head and my body followed. There stood a teenage Japanese boy, he was short compared to myself, but from what I knew of Japanese people, this was not to be unexpected. He spoke again. "You must be Steve; my name is Keiichi Morisato, I am pleased to meet you." He bowed curtly and I followed suit. I did not know a lot about the Japanese culture, but I did know that respect was very important to the Japanese people, and so not wanting to offend the owners of this establishment, I did the best I could to not be disrespectful. 

"Likewise, umm… I'm sorry about imposing on you here." I said apologetically, despite the fact that in the last twenty four hours, I had fainted twice and had no choice in coming to Japan. 

"Oh do not worry about it" Keiichi replied automatically, despite his assurances, I still felt like I was imposing. "By the way, your Japanese is excellent, how did you learn to articulate so well?"

This statement floored me, not only because my Japanese was nothing more than a few words I had come to know off of various anime shows, but because I was thinking the same thing about Keiichi's English. 

"Excuse me…" I said a little too harsh, not intentionally, but out of confusion. However before I could finish my statement, I was interrupted by a voice that I recognized from yesterday.

"That would be my doing, both of you are speaking your native languages, however, to avoid the natural confusion that would ensue from the language barrier, I have altered Steve's language skills. Anyone he speaks to hears what he is saying in their native tongue." She explained as if she did it everyday. "I am sorry for not telling you sooner Keiichi my dear." As she said this she walked over to the young man I was talking with and linked her arm with his. 

The connection between the two went off like fireworks in my mind; I knew this woman was a Goddess, so now I was under the impression that the young man I was speaking to must have been a God. 

"I think we should all sit down and discuss what has happened" Belldandy stated. Beckoning me to follow her and Keiichi, we sat down at a square table in the adjacent room. Before I could say anything, Belldandy called for the other two residences, or as I would later find out, her sisters. 

The woman that had granted my wish entered first. Walking in like nothing was amiss she sat down quickly at the table across from me, next to Belldandy. She barely seemed to acknowledge my presence despite a quick glance upon entering the room. Shortly after Urd sat down, the hammer toting girl entered from the same doorway Urd had come in. She seemed to be slightly timid about the situation, and sat down on the other side of Urd, as if fearing an attack from myself. 

"Let me introduce everyone properly this time" said Belldandy, breaking the ice. "Urd, whom you have already met is my older sister." Urd nodded to me in acknowledgement and I did the same. "Skuld, whom you met briefly" she said hesitating at the words "Is my younger sister" "This," she said gesturing to the Japanese God to the left of her. "Is Keiichi, my boyfriend." "And I, as you already know, am Belldandy."

"Pleased to meet you all" I said, trying not to make eye contact with Skuld, considering how our first encounter went. "Umm… well, my name is Steve Eaton" Not sure of what else to say at the time, I waited for a sign from one of the Goddesses or the God. 

"Perhaps we should tell you a little more about our history" stated Urd. "Names aren't a very good way to get to know someone." I agreed to this, and then for the next half hour I was treated to the story of how Belldandy and Keiichi met, and some of the following drama. 

"So you mean to say that Keiichi is not a God?" I stated after Belldandy finished explaining the wish that Keiichi had met.

This caused Urd to burst out laughing. "This mortal, a God!" "He doesn't even have the nerve to…" Urd's statement was cut off by a fast moving object that resembled a cushion. 

"URD!!" Belldandy shouted louder than I had expected she could have. While this drama was unfolding Keiichi sat there looking slightly dejected. 

I knew slightly how he felt, while not due to fear of the opposite sex, I personally chose not to have sex before marriage Because of this I was often ridiculed by my peers and colleagues. 

After the shouting match between Belldandy and Urd had simmered down, I found myself being eyed by four people awaiting a short description of my life. So I wasn't going to let them down.

"Well where do I start?" I thought aloud while thinking of what to say. "I am 17 years old, and until yesterday I lived in Ontario, Canada. I was in my senior year at high school and I take a great interest in computers, music, and video making." I intentionally left out some of my major life events, as not to reveal too much too fast. I had a bad habit of babbling when I was nervous, and if three Goddesses asking you about your history isn't enough to make someone nervous, then nothing is. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

While Steve was giving a bit of information on his background, Urd's mind was on something else. The book. The record book that is supposed to have all of her mortal charges history, every single detail about him. All of it was sealed away. There was no record of anything like this happening in the history of the earth realm. 

When Steve was finished talking, Urd jumped up and ran into the kitchen, there the book lay peacefully on the counter, awaiting the key that would unlock its secrets. Returning with the book in hand she laid it on the table in front of everyone. 

"What is that?" Steve asked almost immediately. 

"This, is you, or at least, it's supposed to be" Urd replied, and upon explaining this, she opened the book to the page where the index was supposed to be.

"Classified?" exclaimed a puzzled Steve. "Why does it say that?"

"I was hoping you would know" Urd sighed. "But it appears that you don't"

Steve flashed her look of irritation, as if failing before having a chance to try. "May I please see the book?" Steve asked Urd as she started to walk back into the kitchen. 

Urd smiled slightly as she turned around. "Sure!" This is what she had been hoping for, perhaps the seal could only be broken by the book's owner. However, the owner would have to want to break the seal as it could not be broken inadvertently. 

Stretching out her arm to hand Steve the book Urd felt a strong surge of power as Steve stood up to accept the offer. 

A flash of light stuck down when Steve made contact with the book. The force behind the explosion was great enough to send everyone backwards a few feet, but did not harm anyone directly. 

After the smoke cleared from the area, Belldandy was the first to notice what was wrong.

"Steve!" she exclaimed. 

The problem quickly became apparent to everyone else in the room.

Steve was gone.


	4. ch4 Where time exists

Where time exists

(Chapter IV)

It had been five days since anyone had seen or heard from Steve, and Laura was worried sick about her boyfriend. It was not like Steve to vanish without a trace, usually he would answer his cell phone or turn up sooner or later, but five days without any contact was rare. His family also had no idea where he was, and even the police couldn't tell them anything but to wait and see if he turns up. 

Laura lay on her bed, and what seemed like the thousandth time that day, started to sob. It was like he had died, except without the proof, and thus, her mind was left wondering what could have happened, how could it have happened. It wasn't like he would have run away, sure they had their fights from time to time like any normal couple, but to just get up and leave, that would be so opposite of the man that she had come to know and love. 

She was so upset that she had failed to notice the comic glow that came from her television, then a loud BANG echoed thought the house, a noise so loud that it sent a very upset girl running for her life. 

Before she could be stopped, Laura was down the hall and out the door. Urd just stood there, near the spot that Laura had once been. "I hate it when that happens" she complained.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Running as fast as she could, Laura ran down the steps of her house and to the end of the driveway. She had the intentions to go further, but the woman at the end of her driveway halted her in her footsteps. 

"I'm not going to hurt you Laura, I'm just here to talk to you" stated the woman with long silver hair.

"W-wh-wh-who are you?" Laura managed to stammer.

A long silence hung over the air. Finally it was broken by Urd's soft voice.

"Perhaps we should discuss this inside" she said while walking away from a terrified Laura.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

After sitting at the Kitchen table for what seemed like hours, Urd was finally finished explaining everything to Laura, absolutely EVERYTHING. From Steve's wish, to the goddesses to Yggdrasil and her role as a norn, to Steve's unexpected disappearance. This girl was just full of questions, not that it wasn't unexpected. If Urd's boyfriend had suddenly disappeared, and could not be found on the face of the earth, she would question anyone who knew anything until she got all possible information out of them.

The sound of an engine came from the drive way, and in the blink of an eye Laura was up and in a panic. "My parents, how can I…you..explain…what..!??!?" Laura stuttered and stammered. 

Urd took control of the situation, she grabbed Laura and dragged her to the television screen. "Come on!" she stated, not as if it really made a difference, Laura was too frightened at the prospect of going through this solid object to object.

Before she knew it, she was traveling at what seemed to be equivalent to the speed of light, and just as quickly ended up on the floor of an unknown area. "Wh..w.w..w.w…what..just happened!?" she stuttered. 

Urd rolled her eyes while losing patience. "We are in Japan, now we need to find Steve" 

This statement changed Laura's attitude pretty quickly. "Why do you care so much about Steve?" she asked with a raised eyebrow

Urd caught her intent fairly quickly and grew angry. "What are you trying to suggest mortal (putting extra emphasis on "mortal") that I'm somehow romantically interested in your pathetic boyfriend!" 

The insults made Laura's blood run cold. "What do you mean by that "mortal" remark, and that doesn't answer my question, why do you even give a damn!?"

Urd walked up to her and stared her straight in the eye. "What do you think I meant, MORTAL!" 

"URD!" yelled an angry but gentle new voice. "That's no way to treat our new guest" she said as she approached a calming but still quite fierce Laura. "Welcome to our home" she stated while bowing. Laura did the same. "Come, there is much to discuss, would you like a cup of tea?" inquired Belldandy as if nothing was amiss. 

"Umm..sure." replied Laura.

They both walked off into the kitchen leaving a very angry Urd in their wake. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"So how were you able to find me?" asked Laura. 

Belldandy replied while carrying a cup of tea to Laura. "We initially used the Yggdrasil mainframe to attempt to find Steve, however there was no record of his existence. The only links we could find were in other people's files in connection with a one "Steve Eaton". The problem was they were all just ambiguous references, you're the only one with a clear defined link to him, we cannot even determine who his family was." 

"So basically not only do you not have any idea where he is, you are also unsure that he even existed." Laura replied.

"That is correct" Belldandy replied tentatively, waiting for Laura to become upset. 

Instead of doing so Laura began to think deeply. Then it struck her. "How come Urd needs to use televisions to transport?"

Belldandy began explain how every God or Goddess has a median to transport themselves in the mortal realm when she stopped herself. The day Steve arrived, he transported himself without the aid of a median. 

"What does that mean, what did he use?" Belldandy thought. Then it struck her like lighting. "I know where he is!" She shouted while jumping out of his chair. "URD!! SKULD!! COME QUICK!"

Urd and Skuld came bounding in the room from opposite doors, Urd holding a bottle of sake and Skuld covered in grease. 

"Urd, Skuld, what is the one place that we have not looked for Steve yet!?" 

"Aww Belldandy, you know we've looked everywhere, the Yggdrasil mainframe could not find him, so how could we?" Skuld whined.

Belldandy ignored this remark. "The question shouldn't be where is Steve, but WHEN is Steve. Remember how he transported himself without the aid of a device. That's because he did use a median, it was time! He must have transported through time that day, ever so slightly, to end up on the opposite side of that room." Belldandy stated proudly. 

"Umm… Bell, maybe you've been thinking about this too hard, but how is it possible for a MORTAL to travel though time!?" Urd argued. 

Bell had to think about this one for a bit, when it came to her.

"It was his wish….somehow it's better for mankind if he can travel through time" Belldandy said at a near whisper level. 

This was all just too much for Urd. "HOW THE $#%@ DOES THAT MAKE SENSE!?" 

"Urd!!!!" Belldandy and Skuld both shouted louder than anyone could have imagined possible. "Urd you know how the almighty feels about swearing" Belldandy said, much softer this time. 

Urd didn't really care at this point, she was extremely pissed off that this mortal had the power to not only travel through time, an ability that most Gods or Goddesses didn't have, but that he did it less than twenty four hours after he received them. It took Urd at least a century after she learned of her role as Norn of the Past to travel through time. 

"Well a mortal shouldn't have that kind of power, it's too dangerous. First thing we do when we find him is put a power sealing device on him." Urd stated. 

Belldandy agreed with this, after all, it would be unpractical for someone who doesn't know the first thing about time travel to have the power to change the destination of mankind whenever he feels like it.

"Excuse me, but I don't think we should be worrying about what to do when he gets back, first we have to get him back." Laura interrupted as to bring the topic back on track. 

Urd glared at her and Belldandy smiled slightly, knowing fully how she has felt at times Keiichi was missing Of course he always returned safely, it didn't prevent her from occasionally over-reacting to bring him back. 

"So we have to search through time?" Skuld piped up.

"Of course you dimwit." Urd replied quickly. Urd was still steamed at the revelation of Steve's power. "Why him?" she thought angrily. "What makes him so deserving?"

Skuld, as Steve had found out upon his first meeting with her, had a few sore spots, most of all was being called a kid, or other names of that sort. However, she was a mechanical genius, and having her intelligence insulted, was something else that she was unwilling to stand for. 

"What do you mean dimwit!?" Skuld replied hotly. "You're the one that blew up half the temple last year with your cursed potions!!" 

Urd did not get offended as quickly as Skuld did, however she did have a few sore spots of her own, and someone infringing on her potion making ability was one of them. 

"Look who's talking, you blow up anything or anyone that looks at you cockeyed with you patented Skuld bombs, you little brat!" Urd shouted.

This senseless banter continued on for a few minutes as Laura and Belldandy looked on in frustration. Laura especially so, her boyfriend was theoretically somewhere in time and the only people who could do something about it were bickering like children about trivial matters. 

"ENOUGH!" Belldandy shouted, causing an eerie silence to fall upon the room. 

"I can't believe you two! Urd, if anything happens to your charge you know you'll be held responsible." Urd wouldn't meet Belldandy's eyes as she lectured her. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Belldandy's lecture continued for another couple of minutes while Laura listened with impatience, she wanted nothing more than to find her boyfriend and go home. She felt slightly threatened in this place. Urd seemed a bit hostile to her, and as nice as Belldandy had been to her, she felt that had they met under normal circumstances, she would have found her to be too optimistic and happy for her liking. It wasn't that she was a nasty or dark person, she was quite the opposite. However she didn't have a lot of patience for people who were excessively naïve and optimistic. Unfortunately for Laura, Belldandy was both. 

Laura often wondered why she then dated Steve. Who was a complete optimist, even in the worst of situations, sometimes annoyingly so. He did lack naivety however, and thus, was not everything that she had come to despise. 

Her relationship problems would have to wait for the time being, for now she was still uncertain if she would ever see him again.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Belldandy finished lecturing Urd and Skuld with a sigh of frustration. The conversation had been had many times before, never really making a difference, never causing a change, and yet she repeated herself, many times, as if thinking this time it would make a difference. 

She turned to look at Laura and at once recognized the look in the girls eyes, her soul was afire with passion and desire to find her boyfriend, and yet there was an uncertainty in her eyes, as if to reveal her fears about the situation at hand. 

She cleared her throat to gain her attention. "Laura, there is something we should probably discuss." Belldandy said softy. 

She motioned for Laura to follow her into the next room. Once they were there Belldandy shut the door and turned to face Laura.

"I'm going to be honest with you, and I hope that you can handle this." Laura nodded in response and Belldandy continued. "We are going to have to send you through time to find Steve" Belldandy paused as she let this information sink in. "To be honest, we cannot travel through time easily, and because we are looking for someone within time, it complicates matters even further." Laura was quite shocked at the possibility of traveling through time, yet she did ask why it would be easier to send her through time. Belldandy replied. "The reason for that is that we as Goddesses expel enormous amounts of power, power that is hard for others to control. Thus it would be similar to someone trying to control the output of a nuclear power plant, compared to someone controlling the output of a AA battery." Laura didn't quite understand, but she knew that asking more questions would only delay the time it took to find Steve. "Alright." She said. "I'll do it" Belldandy smiled slightly and nodded. "Alright then, there is no time like the present." Under normal circumstances, that pun would have gained groans from all that heard it. However, the joke was lost on Laura, who was deep in thought. 

As they both walked back into the main room Urd and Skuld looked at Belldandy, then to Laura and once again back to Belldandy. 

"So….what's the plan Bell?" Urd asked while folding her arms.

"We're going to use Laura as a beacon, and send her to when and where Steve is." Belldandy replied. 

"Are you mad! What if he's dead! Or stuck somewhere in space, or a dangerous area! She could be killed." Urd spouted. 

This was all news to Laura, she knew that traveling through time would most likely be dangerous, but the thought of dying hadn't crossed her mind. 

Belldandy quickly took control of the situation and calmed Urd down. "As far as we know it's the only chance he has." Belldandy said softly, then turning to look at Laura, she continued. "Now Laura, when you find Steve, you must follow these instructions exactly." As she talked she removed a bracelet from her arm and handed it to Laura. "This bracelet is going to be used as a beacon, it is how we will be able to track you through time. Once you find him, remove the bracelet and it will automatically expand to the size of a hula-hoop. Place it around the both of you and hold on tightly. (Despite the situation at hand, Laura smiled at this, knowing full well that she wouldn't need Belldandy's advice to hold onto her boyfriend tightly.) Once you do that, we will bring you back. Also, if for some reason you end up in a dangerous situation, do the same thing with just yourself, and we will bring you back again" 

Laura nodded and thanked Belldandy for all that she was doing. 

"Urd, Skuld, come on." Belldandy stated. 

Urd and Skuld moved to form a circle around Laura. 

"Good luck, and Kami-sama bless" Belldandy said before she started to speak a language that Laura could never understand. 

Urd and Skuld followed in unison while Laura looked around at the three, a little unsure if she was supposed to be doing something. 

It was then that Laura's memory became jumbled. Lights started to flash and a wind started to blow.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A bright flash enveloped the room, and from this grew a silence. The wind had died and the words had stopped

There was only one thing different than before.

Laura was gone. 


	5. ch5 Where fate exists

**Where Fate Exists**

**(CHAPTER V)**

The sensation was something that felt vaguely familiar, but no matter how many times I felt it I would never get completely used to it. I had attempted to grab the book that might have held the answers to all my questions. Yet, when my fingers reached the cover, instead of feeling the cool leather that I expected, I felt a surge of power rush though my arm and up to my forehead. Before I could react, the ground where I had been sitting disappeared beneath my feet, and my body felt like it was moving at immeasurable high speeds. 

A bright light blinded my sight and so I had no choice but to wait to find out where I ended up. A few seconds later, I felt my body hit solid ground again. 

I stood up quickly. I didn't want to let my guard down, having no idea where I was, and feeling scared. 

It was then that I realized that letting my guard down was the last of my worries. As I looked around, I saw that there was nothing around me, literally nothing. As far as the eye could see there was just space. It was an empty point in the universe. Yet as indescribable as it seems, there was light. It didn't seem like there was nothing, even when there was nothing. I could see for miles, I just couldn't see anything.

"Where am I…" I asked no one. The answer I feared the most came immediately.

Silence

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"WHAT THE **** JUST HAPPENED!!!" Yelled Urd, speaking for everyone else in the room. 

Urd's overreaction would have been dismissed as normal, weren't it for the severity of the problem. Given the circumstances at hand, she merely echoed Skuld's and Belldandy's feelings.

A few minutes ago everything had been going to plan. Belldandy, Skuld and Urd had been navigating through time, looking for any remnants of Steve. Then suddenly, time seemed to almost repel them. In complete unison all three Goddesses lost control of the time stream. This wouldn't have been much of a problem, if it weren't for the absence of Laura. 

"Does that mean what I think it means?" asked a worried and disturbed Skuld. 

"I'm afraid it does, Steve is not the only one lost in time." replied Belldandy.

In the midst of this, no one seemed to notice the lack of Keiichi Morisato.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"This is just too perfect!!" a gleeful demon exclaimed. "Not only did they lose Laura in time, but Keiichi is gone too! Belldandy will be mortified when she finds out." 

Taking pleasure in such misfortune is what a demon is best suited for. However, causing problems for earth realm mortals is just a benefit of their job. A demon's entire existence is dedicated to one thing, separating people from Kami-sama. A demon cannot live without tempting people to perform evil acts and offering them perishables for their souls. Despite all the work that demons put into tempting people to the dark side so to speak, people still have free will. Free will – fate's twin brother. Gods and Demons alike knew that fate existed, yet even they couldn't explain how people are both dictated by fate and have free will. Humans tend to believe in one or the other, not usually having the divine ties to confirm or deny either. To the Gods and Demons, it was another story. Not a lot was known about fate, Kami-sama refused to give a lot of information on the subject to anyone who inquired. Many thought this was because it was all part of his "master plan". Others thought that even he didn't know what fate was. At the end of the day, people still convinced themselves that the choices they made were a decision they made themselves. 

Even with the unseen restrictions fate put on the Gods, Demons, and mortals, it didn't stop bad things happening to good people, which is why many people reject the existence of the divine. 

Igor started to laugh maniacally. Fate had smiled upon him and he was relishing it. He knew at once he would have to report the status to Oni-sama. The first class Demon smiled at the thought, perhaps the serpent of old would give him a promotion for work well done. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Laura had not been having a good week. First her boyfriend ends up lost in time, and now she had a head ache that caused enormous discomfort. She stood up slowly trying to keep her balance, she reached out to grab a hold of something, anything, but found nothing. 

She shook her head and opened her eyes slowly, the second she did so she wished had hadn't. Around her was nothing, space, mile and miles of empty space, with one exception.

"LAURA!" a familiar voice shouted.

It was Steve!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Belldandy, Urd and Skuld had fallen asleep almost immediately after the search through time. Despite losing Laura, all three had spent a great deal of energy trying to navigate through time. Even Urd's sake and Skuld's ice cream could not keep them awake. 

It was Urd who awoke first, sighing to herself and beginning to contemplate the situation that had arisen out of earlier, she began to wonder. Why did they use Laura in the first place? They are the three norns of the past, present and future, they don't need the help of a mortal. 

Try as she might, she could not figure out why they had used Laura. Entering the kitchen she noticed the book left carelessly on the table.

"You! You were the one that started all this" Urd stated to accuse the book. She reached over to grab it, only to have it crumble into a million pieces in her hands. "A FAKE!" she thought wildly. 

Urd's head began to spin. Everything was flashing back to her. She had no memory of getting the book, all she knew is that when she had arrived back from granting Steve's wish, it was there. The Norns didn't need mortals to travel and search though time. It was all a setup. "But what powerful magic!" Urd thought as she ran into the bedroom to awake her sisters. 

"BELL!" "SKULD!" "Wake up!" Urd shouted. 

Belldandy sighed sleepily and rolled over, attempting to ignore her sister. Urd liked this, it meant that Belldandy was only sleeping, instead of being passed out from magic exhaustion. Skuld mentioned something about ice cream as well as dumb big sister and followed Belldandy's example. 

Urd had neither the patience nor mood to deal with this. Importing a glass of water from the kitchen, she promptly dumped it on both Skuld and Belldandy, who promptly awoke.

"AACCCK, IT'S COLD, WHO…" Skuld looked at her elder sister who was holding the now empty glass of water. "YOU! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THAT." Skuld produced a Skuld-bomb and was up on her feet before Urd had time to blink. 

"Skuld! Settle down." Her other soaked sister said sternly but not shouting either. "Clearly Urd has something important to discuss with us." Belldandy was a remarkable person, despite being soaked in her nightshirt, she remained attentive to the situation at hand and knew that Urd had important things to discuss with them. "So go ahead Urd, what do you need to tell us." Her voice sounded impatient, as if saying. "This had better be good, or you'll be sorry."

Urd started to talk so fast that many words became one long word, and a new language was born. Belldandy stepped in and told her sister to slow down. 

Urd took a deep breath and nodded. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Keiichi had been through many dangerous and weird things since Belldandy had arrived about 3 years ago. There was the whole "Lord of Terror", as well as Celeste causing Belldandy to lose her memory. Despite all of this, Keiichi and Belldandy always made it through, and they were happy. They rarely fought, and if they did, the issues were quickly resolved. Most people would say that if you never fight with your mate then it's a sign of your relationship being in trouble. Of course the opposite it true as well, constant disagreements are not good either. 

While the Goddesses had been trying to navigate through time, Keiichi had busied himself in the garage working on his motorbike, he remembered reaching to grab a wench when it suddenly disappeared. There was a bright flash and he found himself flying through space, traveling at many times the speed of light, yet it didn't seem to phase him. He seemed to be just standing there, watching space and time 

fly by him. 

Another bright flashed occurred and Keiichi found himself lying on a cool wet surface. Sitting up slowly and holding his head, he looked around. He did not recognize the area, it seemed to resemble something out of the history books, while at the same time everything seemed to be new.

He stood up completely and brushed himself off, unsure of where to go in this foreign land he started to walk. There was a strange tone in the air, a tone of fear. It was then that he noticed there were very few people around, the area resembled that of a busy downtown area, but the population didn't resemble the structures. 

Walking past a discarded newspaper left on carelessly on a park bench, he felt his knees become weak when he saw the title and date of the newspaper. "The Hiroshima Times". August 6th 1945. 

Now for someone who doesn't know their Japanese history, they would most likely be put off by the fact that they were 58 years in the past, but that was secondary of Keiichi's concerns at the moment. Every Japanese student knew exactly what happened on August 6th and 9th of the year 1945 in Japan. Millions were killed instantly by the atomic weapons possessed by the U.S.A It was this day that the first bomb was dropped. It was a horrible piece of Japanese history, and a hard lessoned learned by every nation who knew of the awesome destructive power of the atomic bomb. 

It was at this moment that Keiichi's worst fears came true. He heard the air raid sirens screech over the sky and the sound of planes flying over the city.

"Oh…****" Keiichi stuttered.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sitting in the void of space creates an interesting mix of emotions for the unfortunate who end up there. First, it's boring. There was simply nothing for Steve and Laura to do besides sit around and wait. Both had already recounted their individual timelines that ended in their arrival to this location. Laura was fascinated at Steve receiving this wish, while Steve was touched by the sincere concern that his girlfriend emulated for him. 

Steve was just about to speak when a noise similar to that of nails on a chalkboard at the volume of a jet airplane screeched across the very fabric of space and time. 

Both Steve and Laura shielded their ears as best they could, but it was useless. The noise was just too great. Neither had to suffer long however, they both passed out quickly.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Urd watched the eyes grow wide on her sisters as she explained the revelation that she had come to. Both seemed to be shocked beyond belief, and as they should be. For someone to possess the magic to manipulate the minds and souls of three goddesses, two mortals and forge official Yggdrasil documents, the concept was beyond approach. Let alone someone who was using it, and possibly had more power at their disposal. 

Skuld was clearly more frightened than Belldandy was, despite her constant attempts to act older and convince everyone she was an adult. Her eyes showed the fear only a child could emulate. 

Belldandy on the other hand seemed to be rather calm about the whole ordeal, after her initial shock had worn off she accepted it as fact and was clearly in deep thought. 

"The question is why." Belldandy said, breaking the silence. "Why would someone want to make us lose Steve and Laura in time?" 

Urd broke Belldandy's train of thought with a question Belldandy would later hate herself for not asking. "Um….where is Keiichi?" 

Belldandy sprang to attention, extending her senses to the surrounding area, she could find no trace of her lover. "Oh…my" she whispered. The words didn't do just as to the severity of the situation. "He's not here!" Belldandy's eyes grew wide and her lip started to tremble. 

Urd knew this look, and she knew she had to do something before it got out of hand. "Belldandy, calm down, you're only going to be able to do something if you're calm." Urd said this while grabbing her sister's shoulders, as to close the lid and keep any sense left in her body from escaping. 

Belldandy nodded and started to breathe deeply. It wasn't as if she needed to breathe, as a Goddess she could keep her human form alive without the necessary breathing for humans. Over the past few years however, while living on the mortal plane. She had learned to imitate lots of things that humans do that Gods and Goddesses didn't need to. The steady breathing helped her to calm down so she could think clearly. 

With Keiichi's need for speed and Belldandy's bad habit of over reacting, Belldandy was often caught getting overworked for no reason. Yet at the moment, she knew something was terribly wrong. With all that had happened recently, Belldandy knew she had reason for concern. 

It is not always clear why certain people fall in love and others don't. For a pair like Keiichi and Belldandy, to transcend the Heavens and mortal laws, and willing to do anything to protect their love. Some people would call them soul mates, others would say it was good luck. Nevertheless Keiichi and Belldandy were connected, perhaps long before they existed they were connected. Such things could never be proven. Belldandy and Keiichi knew that their love consisted of something special, something that could never be described with words. Love so powerful, fate itself might have had a hand in it. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Keiichi wasn't sure what to do, he heard people scream and run in every direction. He also heard the plane engines roaring across the sky. The entire scene seemed to play out in slow motion. He started to run, he was running as fast as he could yet he seemed to be moving incredibly slow. Lost in the crowd of confusion, he was knocked down by another man of equal size to himself. He caught the young man's eyes as he fell and saw nothing but terror. The young man ran off hardly noticing Keiichi. A massive force shook the earth and Keiichi turned to see what only could be described as hell on earth. A massive mushroom cloud formed in the distance, it's fire engulfing everything that stood in its path. Keiichi knew he had no chance, he stood up slowly and stared at the approaching inferno. 

"Bell…" Was all me managed to whisper before he was consumed by the flames. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Belldandy's eyes grew wide as she shouted an ear piercing scream. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" 

Urd and Skuld covered their ears and exchanged glances. They both watched as Belldandy collapsed onto the ground and broke down into tears. Gasping half formed sentences like "Kei…dead." and "…gone". 

Urd was totally taken aback at the situation that had formed in front of her eyes. She knelt down and tried to console Belldandy. 

"Belldandy, he's not dead…we just can't find him." Urd spoke softly. 

"HE IS DEAD, I CAN FEEL IT." Belldandy shouted and then resumed to cry. 

Urd looked at Skuld for help and recived nothing but a shrug. Urd started to think of what else to say to calm her sister when an ear piercing screech echoed across the very fabric of time and space. All three Goddesses fell victim to the sound and fainted without objection. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"DON'T EVER CALL ME A …." Skuld broke off her sentence in a heartbeat. 

My feelings also changed instantly and from the look on Belldandy's face, so did hers. 

"How the…what…why are we here?" I started to sputter. Confusion was rampant in the room as both Belldandy and Skuld looked at each other. It was at that moment Belldandy ran from the room shouting something about Keiichi. 

I was left there with Skuld with many unanswered questions. Just seconds before I had been in the void of space with my girlfriend. Now I was in a situation that had happened yesterday. Skuld's eyes presented an equal amount of confusion. So I thought I'd get right to the point.

"What just happened?" I asked, partly knowing that Skuld had no more of an idea that I did. 

"I'm not sure." She replied. She then continued to explain what she had been doing before we ended up here, she explained all the way back to my disappearance and then asked where I had been. I then started to explain as best I could where I had been and what I had been doing. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Keiichi almost fainted when he realized where he was. The last thing he remembered was being hit with the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. Now he was back in his garage working on his bike. "Is this heaven?" He asked himself. 

He stood up slowly, taking in all that was around him. "Was I dreaming?" he wondered to himself. He didn't have much time to think about the subject further, as just then his Girlfriend burst through the doors and wrapped her arms around him.

"Keiichi!" Belldandy exclaimed as she held him tightly. His throat started to sting with the emotional enormity of the situation. He returned the hold and sat there simply existing in the moment. Belldandy's voice broke the silence. "I thought….I thought you were dead…" Her eyes started to stream tears of joy and she held him tighter. 

Keiichi was unsure of how to respond to that statement, he sat there in silence for a moment before taking a bold move. He locked his lips with hers in a passionate kiss. In a moment like this, both knew that no words could describe what they wanted to say. 


End file.
